The present invention relates to an endometrium cell sample collector for taking samples of endometrium tissue for the diagnosis of cancer and the like, and more particularly relates to such an endometrium cell sample collector, which is easily operable and can be made so cheaply as to be disposable.
Uterine cancer in general falls into two categories: cervical cancer which develops in the cervix, and endometrial cancer which develops in the endometrium. Cervical cancer may be diagnosed by observing the cervix by using a colposcope, but the diagnosis of endometrial cancer is difficult, and generally it is required to take a sample of the endometrium cells for laboratory testing.
For taking such a endometrium cell sample, a call sample collector is required, and in the past generally a suction type cell sample collector has been used, which takes a sample of the endometrium cell tissue by sucking it away from the endometrium. However, such a conventional endometrium cell sample collector is not entirely satisfactory, since, because there is little air in the uterine cavity in the beginning, when suction is performed, the pressure difference between the uterine cavity and the interior of the cell sample collector tends to quickly disappear, no matter how vigorously the suction action is performed, and thus the suction action thereof cannot be very effective. Thus cell collection for endometrial cancer detection becomes difficult. Further, the need for constructing such an endometrium cell sample collector with a suction capability requires high manufacturing accuracy which entails high manufacturing cost, and thus if the endometrium cell sample collector is intended to be disposable then it is expensive during use, while on the other hand if the endometrium cell sample collector is intended to be reused for taking cell samples several times then problems arise with regard to cleaning, sterilization, and the like thereof.
Another requirement for such an endometrium cell sample collector of course is that it should be quite safe to use, and should be effective for collection of endometrium cell tissue. Since the interior of the uterus is accessible only via the cervix, which is rather restricted, it is important and problematic, first of all not to damage the cervix during removal of the endometrium cell sample, and also not to mix any cervical tissue cells in with the sample of endometrium cells which is being extracted from the uterine cavity. These aims must be accomplished although the angle for passing via the cervix to the interior of the uterus may be rather awkward, at least in some subjects. Ease of use is another important requirement with regard to such an endometrium cell sample collector, and to this end it is desirable that it should be possible to operate it with only one hand.